Trends of the Time: An Examination of Judicial Waiver in One State

During the 1990s and 2000s, nearly every state revised its laws or adopted new legislation facilitating the transfer of juvenile offenders from juvenile court to criminal court. Previously, transfer was reserved for the “worst juveniles”, or those youths who were charged with serious violent offenses. This paper compares and contrasts girls and boys who were judicially waived to adult court in one state from 1994 to 2000. These data suggest that there may be other factors that influence judicial decision-making on the issue of transfer. Policy considerations are also discussed.